Count On Me
by LoveforPenandDerek
Summary: Morgan and Garcia. The first week of their marriage- beautiful memories and their first fight.
1. Chapter 1

**Note**- This is a sequel to Making Memories of Us.

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Count On Me

Chapter One

March 2010

__

Six days before.....

"You're staring at me again, handsome," Penelope said, her eyes on the tv, as they sat on the couch together.

Derek cleared his throat. He shifted and focused on the TV again. "I can't get over that red hair." He whistled. "Damn woman, you do things to me."

"Do I really?" she teased with a sexy chuckle falling from her lips. "You do things to me too....still, always. You send me into orbit with just one look when no other man can get me there if he has all night and a road map."

Derek grinned widely. "Is that, right? Well I'll stare at you anytime you're in the mood. Just let me know. I'm always happy to help out my baby girl." His voice dropped. "Look at me, Penelope, and lets time how long it takes till you're in orbit."

She smiled sweetly and said "Watch the movie before you get me in trouble."

The moment Penelope stepped through Derek's door that night he felt a sense of peace wash over him. His baby girl was back.

After two years of distance between them- no movie nights and no long lazy weekends together- her long term boyfriend had taken his happy ass home to see his sick mother and, inadvertently, gave Derek and Penelope the opportunity to do what they both wanted most: find a way to be together.

Derek couldn't have been happier when she mentioned wanting to have a movie marathon tonight. Did he care that it was a Monday and he had to work the next day? Hell no. He only cared that she was offering him long, uninterrupted hours next to her on a couch.

She invited him to her place, once he said he was up for watching movies if she wanted some company, but he suggested his place instead.

Truth be told he couldn't stand the idea of ever going into her apartment again. That place where she screwed Lynch over and over. The place where Battle tried to kill her on two occasions. Where Derek told her of his love and they both filled with joy but somehow they both just let the moment and their joy slip away when they went to sleep that night, as if they just had the same dream of saying "I love you," to each other and it hadn't happened at all.

He would be fine never seeing that apartment again for as long as he lived.

He wanted her here with him. In his home. The only house he couldn't sell when he sold all the others, flipping them for profits, because this house was filled with Penelope Garcia memories. So he stayed here and walked the hard wood floors every night seeing her in different places she used to be but hadn't been in years now.

Till tonight. Tonight she was back and he was thrilled about that. He wanted to figure out some way to convince her they needed each other.

He wasn't expecting them to become lovers. They had never been that to each other, despite a thousand chances. Even though he loved her and wanted to make love to her he was fine with having a friendship only, at least for now. He just needed that friendship to be strong like it used to be.

He needed his baby girl back. Because, no doubt about it, it felt like he had lost her there for a while.

That time was over.

He wanted to build them back up to what they used to be. More than anything he wanted to know she would come here again for another movie night. It might seem silly to need something so simple so much but he didn't care if that was true. He did need it. He needed it more than he needed most things in this world.

His eyes darted back to peek at her again. He just couldn't keep his gaze off of her tonight.

She looked so damn sexy in this light blue shirt she had on that hugged her curves and had her cleavage peeking out. She had on jeans too which were a turn on cause she never wore them to work. Penelope in jeans meant it was play time and he loved playing with his baby girl.

Her feet were bare, just like his, and even that he found sexy. And her red hair....good God, it was like she had been trying to make him hard when she dyed her hair. He loved her as a blonde. It suited her. But there was something risque and naughty about her with red hair. It somehow felt like she did it for him, though he told himself he was really far freaking gone if he believed that. But he kinda did. Her eyes lit up and gleamed with delight every time that he complimented her on it.

Penelope all but growled at him "I swear if you don't stop gawking at me, Hot Stuff. Enough. You're making me..." her voice trailed off in the most dirtiest way.

His eyes darted down to her breasts for proof and sure enough they were poking her shirt. That sight went straight to his groin and his dick took notice.

Damn. He hadn't gotten her like that in years! Not that he had noticed at least. When would he have the chance? They only talked at work now and then it wasn't like before...not really. Lynch was always there in between them even if he was a couple floors away.

But tonight Lynch was in Ohio. Too bad for Lynch.

Derek wet his lips as he sucked in a breath and let it out, unable to tear his eyes away from Penelope no matter how much he wanted to honor her request. His voice was deep and filled with longing when he asked "Do you have any clue how much I miss spending time with you?"

A second later she was all over him, muttering "Just kiss me, Morgan. Damn, I can't take this anymore," and then pressing her lips to his, in case he didn't do as she wanted. She wasn't taking the chance right then.

He was glad she made a move. He maybe never would have. He just couldn't get past his own self, his fears and his excuses. No matter how bad he was aching for her. It took all his guts to tell her before that he loved her and he didn't know if he could ever again get that brave without some sign from her she loved him the same way.

But now wasn't the time to think about it because right now he was getting kissed for the first time by his baby girl. And it was hot. So hot. Opened mouth and moaning with her hands roaming all over him as if she was trying to feel all of him at once and then settling on the bulge that was rapidly growing in his pants.

He moaned and pulled back. "Babe, move that hand unless you're serious about this."

A moment passed and she looked down. Then she started working on unbuttoning his jeans. Derek stilled her hands. "Hey....be sure. Please be sure."

"Are you sure?"

"Hell yeah. I'd keep you as mine for the rest of my life if you let me."

"I'm sure," she said, breathlessly, before flinging herself on him, pushing him back as they started kissing again. It got so out of control that they rolled off the couch.

And that is where they made love for the first time. Derek's floor. The next morning he asked her to marry him and by the next night they were husband and wife.

He didn't have to worry that she wouldn't come to his home for another movie night. Now every night that he wasn't away on a case could be movie night or whatever they wanted. He would give her a lifetime of good memories of them.

He swore that on his life.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Penelope ended up at home earlier than Derek on Monday night, the first night he was back from their latest case. Since they got married she was spending more time alone at their home than she was spending with him there. But that was the nature of their jobs and she wouldn't complain- at least too much.

It felt good to be in Derek's house- their home now- even if he wasn't there. All around her it smelled like him and felt like him. It was comforting. She was safe there with their drooling gaurd dog who missed his master too.

Tonight Derek had lots of paper work to catch up on. Reid had done him a favor and taken over some of Derek's paperwork last week, when Derek was out because of the wedding, but there was still plenty Derek had to do himself. So Penelope headed on home with the promise to make dinner and wait up to show him a good night.

They hadn't had a meeting with Strauss yet about being married but Hotch had went to her. She actually said that she assumed they were a couple ever since the 'Talk Dirty to Me' incident and so she wasn't surprised to hear they had finally made it official. She didn't like the frat rules broken but she had bigger things on her agenda than taking on a fight with Hotch over that. She did want to speak to both Derek and Penelope in person about this, though, but neither would have to transfer, at least not yet. They would take a wait and see approach.

Strauss made Penelope extremely nervous so she was not looking forward to that meeting at all. But it was good to know that the woman wasn't overly concerned over Penelope and Derek's flirty relationship in the workplace. Strauss could have made an issue of it years ago but she let it slide. Thank God for small favors.

Penelope didn't know what they would do if one of them was told to transfer because they were married now. Derek would insist he be the one to leave but Penelope knew she couldn't let him. It would make more sense for it to be her. She could keep her same office and just work with another team. She'd be right there in the building with her family still.

She wouldn't want to stop working with the BAU but if it came down to it she would. Frat rules wouldn't keep her away from her husband and if Derek transferred who knows where he would end up and with what hours. She needed her man close by for their all day flirt sessions- something they stopped doing a couple years back but she planned to start right back up tomorrow.

Derek would hardly know what hit him when he heard the things that came out of her mouth now that she knew for sure he was completely in love with her- body, heart, mind and soul.

It made her feel so powerful and safe. She had a husband now and he loved her with every bit of himself. Their life was just starting and tonight would be one more good memory made.


	2. Chapter 2

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Count On Me

Chapter Two

March 2010

Derek walked into his house with a peaceful feeling lingering in his chest. He was coming home to his wife. It felt good to know that.

Looking at the gold band on his finger also made him feel good. It was engraved and read: _Her Hot Stuff_.

Penelope's engagement ring had the date they met engraved in it and then the words _Till Eternity_. Her wedding band had: _His Baby Girl_.

Clooney didn't even come and greet him. Derek had a feeling that his dog was laying at Penelope's feet somewhere in the house. Since Derek had seen lights on in the upstairs windows he headed that way, after tossing his go-bag on the floor just inside the door.

He found Penelope in their computer room playing her online game and listening to love songs. He smiled as he stood at the door and watched her. Clooney noticed him and barked.

Penelope said, still looking at the computer, "Do you plan to stare all night? You know what happens when you stare at me."

"Woman, I'll stare at you every day all day if I want. You're my better half now."

"Other half. I could never be better than you. You're amazing, baby, in every way."

Derek walked up behind her, wrapped his around her and kissed her neck. "I'm not amazing at all but you wanna think so, my beautiful wifey, then you go right ahead."

She nodded and smiled. "I plan to."

He tickled her, spinning her chair around, and then their lips met. Their kisses grew heated. He picked her out of the chair, her legs wrapping around his waist, and they kept kissing as he walked backwards. When they hit the hallway he pressed her against the wall. "God, baby girl, I was going out of my mind these last few days. I need this."

"I can tell," she purred

He grinned and set her down.

She titled her head up and asked for a kiss, which he gave her a very sweet and soft one. Then he took her hand and they went into their bedroom. His hands buried themselves in her hair and his mouth found hers again. "Love," he kissed her "you," he kissed her again "very," he kissed her "very" kissed her again, as they moved to the bed and crawled on their knees to the middle of it "much."

She started to yank off his shirt. He loved how she was obsessed with his chest. It was the part of him where she always went first to lick and suck and caress. And he loved it. He felt like he was working out each day just to impress her. He put on a lot of muscle since they met- it was no coincidence.

The way she kissed his pecs and abs made it worth every sweaty moment when he pushed himself to do more in the gym. He worked off a lot of frustration that way. And he also made his body even better looking. His hope had been that on the day she first saw him naked she would never want another man again.

She'd only want him forever. And that is just how it worked out too.

XXXXXXXXX

They lay in bed with her head on his chest. He was tangling his fingers through her blonde locks. They weren't talking much and soon he started to wonder if she fell asleep. "Sweetheart?"

"Mmmm?"

"Just checking to see if you're up. You eat dinner yet?"

"I was waiting for my husband."

Pride always filled him when she called him that. It made him amazed she trusted him this much, to promise the rest of her life to being with him. "Don't do that every time. If I'm stuck at work you need to eat, rest, and take care of yourself, you hear me? I don't want my wife getting rundown."

She looked up at him with a sweet smile. "You love it, don't you?"

"What is that, Penelope?" he asked, his voice silky smooth.

"Calling me your wife."

The first two days they were married they were constantly saying my wife and my husband with goofy smiles on their faces. It felt good then and it still felt just as good now. They hadn't even been married a full week yet. The novelty hadn't worn off.

The fact that they actually were brave enough to do this still amazed them both to no end. They knew how close they came to never knowing this feeling at all.

Derek answered "Woman, you know me too well. I do love it." He pressed a long kiss to her forehead. "And I love you." Then he climbed out of bed. "And I'm dying of hunger so get that sexy ass up."

She was laying there with her blonde hair fanned out, looking well loved and sexy as hell, with a sleepy and happy look on her face. Derek was blown away. This beautiful Goddess was his wife now.

Penelope said "I'll be down in a few, baby. The food is in the fridge. Warm it up for us."

"Done." He flashed her a grin as he pulled on some pajama pants. "You look so good right now. I could eat you up."

She winked at him. "You'll get your chance, lover, believe me you will. But first go eat up your dinner. I don't cook for just anyone you know. Just my husband."

Derek left with a big smile on his face. "I'll be waiting on you, pretty mama."

XXXXXXXXXX

Penelope came downstairs wearing a Bears football jersey, after taking a quick shower and pulling her hair in a pony tail. She sat on Derek's lap and started kissing his neck.

He chuckled. "Did you come down here for dinner or to make a meal out of me?"

"Hmmmmm. You guess." She licked and sucked on his earlobe.

His hand massaged her bare thigh. "Wearing this with no panties and no bra says the answer is you want to be bent over this table, young lady."

"Yes, please, kind sir," she teased in a way she knew would make him bust out laughing.

He laughed at her and said "Silly girl, what will I do with you?"

She kissed him and when she pulled away she rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad you're home to sleep with me again, baby."

"Sleep with you or_ sleep_ with you?"

She smiled and rubbed her hand over his abs. "Stop teasing me, you meanie. You know I meant both."

Derek kissed her nose. "I'm glad too. I probably drove Reid nuts talking about my baby girl these last few days."

"What were you talking about?"

"Places for our honeymoon. You know he knows everything about anything so he was telling me about everywhere I mentioned. Telling me more than I gave a damn about but still."

"Do you have any contenders yet?"

"Whatever you want, baby girl. Seriously. You should have whatever you want."

"I'd like to try Italy, if that's okay with you. Emily said its beautiful there. We could explore it together."

"Cool."

"If you want somewhere else-"

He pressed a finger to her lips. "Do they still have beds in that country?"

She giggled and nodded.

Derek smiled. "Then it will do."


	3. Chapter 3

**Count On Me**

**Chapter Three**

**March 2010**

Derek woke up at one am to Penelope's phone ringing. It wasn't JJ's ring tone so Derek doubted this was about work. He groaned "What the-?"

Penelope woke up. "Morgan?"

"Shhh. Rest, angel. I'll find out who it is." He reached over to the bedside table and got her phone. Looking at it he could not believe what he saw.1 message Kevin Lynch.

Derek felt rage course through him. How dare Lynch be calling Derek's wife ever! Let alone at this damn time of night. Was he bothering her when Derek was out of town? He would give that guy a talking to if he didn't quit this crap and fast.

Setting the phone back down Derek laid down in bed again.

Penelope mumbled "Important?"

He snuggled close to her and said "Nothing to worry about." He sucked in the smell of her hair and buzzed her shoulder with a kiss. Soon she fell back to sleep but Derek stayed up.

He couldn't stand to think Penelope was still talking to Lynch. He knew he couldn't tell her what to do but it would only weigh on Derek's mind if they kept up a friendship. It would be like poison in this marriage and he feared it might have already started- behind his back, sadly like how she first got with Lynch.

How could Lynch want to deal with her when she did him the way she did?

If Derek put himself in Lynch's position he would be throwing up right now, distraught and unable to get off his knees, if Penelope had been with him over two years and left him on a whim. Married someone else when he was out of town. He would feel disgusted by her behavior, inadequate as a man, and unable to even look at her again.

Why was Lynch calling her? Didn't he have any damn pride? It had to stop. If Derek had to go and put that hacker through a wall, by God, it would stop.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Penelope woke up to find Derek wasn't in bed. She figured he was either out still jogging or downstairs getting some breakfast. She took a shower and dressed for work.

Finding him downstairs by the front door, ready for work, she walked over and said "Kiss your wife good morning, sug."

He didn't look in the mood. She tensed. Her eyes searched his. He gave her a quick kiss and then pulled open the door. "Lets go. I could use to get in and start in on more paperwork."

"Okay."

On the way there he was silent and brooding. Penelope asked "So are you going to tell me what this mood is about?"

"Did you check your phone this morning?"

"Oh. That."

"Yeah, _that_. He calls you in the middle of the night still? Really? That's what goes on when I'm gone?"

"What does that even mean? Are you accusing me of something?" The pain in her tone was intense.

"No, baby," he said, gently. "It just didn't sit right with me. He needs to back off. You're not with him anymore and you never will be again.....right?"

"That's a question? Damn it, Morgan, we're married! What are you thinking asking me that?"

"Till last week he thought you were his. What the hell do you want me to think? You left him for me. Maybe it works in reverse too."

"Stop this car!"

He ignored her.

She yelled again "Stop this car or else I swear this will be the last time I ever get in this SUV again."

"Don't threaten me, Penelope."

"I can get to work in a cab. Its better than being here with my husband who doesn't trust me."

"I trust you."

"Just empty words. You think I'm some kind of whore, don't you?"

"Garcia, stop it! I mean it. Pump the brakes, right now."

She sat in the passenger seat, sniveling and holding back tears. Once they were in the parking garage at Quantico Derek turned off the SUV and took a few breaths. Then he pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead. "I'm sorry, baby girl. I don't know how to do this. How to trust this much. I just need your help. Please cut me a break. I'm..."

She cried against his chest.

Derek said "I don't want to lose you to him another time. We're supposed to be for life now, isn't that what we said?"

Pulling back she looked in his eyes. Her teary face was a mess. Derek felt horrible for going off on her for something that was not her fault at all. When he married Penelope he knew she came with the baggage of Lynch and he knew he was stealing her away from that guy. He never should have thought it wouldn't be stressful to get Lynch removed from their lives. If anything Lynch was probably calling to lash out because he was hurt. Maybe he drunk dialed her.

Derek had jumped to conclusions because he was scared and it did nothing but make his wife cry and hurt. That was the last thing he wanted.

Penelope asked Derek "Why do you keep asking me if we're together? We're married! What more can I do to prove my love to you? Kevin is no threat. If I wanted him I would have married him one of the 100 times he asked me. He would always ask when it would happen and I'd put him off. You asked me once and I married you that day. I'm wearing these rings and I'm your wife, Derek. Don't treat me like the sluts you're used to being with."

"This isn't about my past. Its about yours. My past doesn't call at 1 am. Either you get him to back off or I will and once I get near him, baby girl, I can't promise you it will end peacefully. Because if he so much as says word one about my wife going back to his ass I will knock him out. I don't give a damn what the consequences are for it."

"And what if I say I want you to be the one to back off? To let me deal with this my own way and trust me? What then? Is that a deal breaker for you? You will treat me like this from now on? Like I'm still into my ex when I spent the last four months, every single second since Haley died, thinking about how I wanted you and how I wished we could have figured us out years ago. I would wish away every good moment with Kevin if I could trade them for any kind of moments with you, even horrible ones. I love you and this love is the only real love I've ever had so don't you dare ever look at me again and say maybe I'm into some other guy, even Kevin. I never married him. I married you!"

Holding her face in his hands Derek whispered "And I thank God you married me. Can you blame me for being....scared? Okay. I'm scared, I said it.... I just don't want you to regret this and go back to him."

"Never, baby. I will always and forever be Mrs. Morgan. Always. Just hold me. Hold your wife."

He wrapped his arms around her.

She whispered "There's no reason not to trust me. I'm not perfect but I'd never hurt you by leaving you for anyone or any reason. I hurt him because he's not you. Can't you see that? He's not you."

"I'm sorry, Penelope."

"I'm sorry, too. I'm sorry I ever dated Kevin. It wasn't worth this....your pain. Nothing is worth this."

"I'm okay now. I'm fine. We just have to get him out of our lives, okay?"

"I will. I'll tell him we can't talk anymore because my first priority is my marriage. I won't be hard headed or play games. Not this time. I won't let us fight over something so stupid as who I used to date. I wasn't happy with Kevin for a long while now. I was already moved on, in my heart. I was already back with you and I just needed to find out if you'd take me back....and make us more than we had before. And you did. You gave me everything you have and I gladly too it, sugar. I took it cause its you. Its always been you and it always will be. Do you hear that? Always. I know you're smart enough to know what that word means and we don't need to get Reid here to explain it to you."

"I hear you, baby girl."

She gave him a tender kiss. "No more fighting. We're newlyweds, my love."

"I love you....always."

She smiled. "You sure as hell better. I didn't marry you for anything less." Penelope looked in the mirror over her seat. "God, I need to fix this face."

"I'm sorry about that. You know I don't like seeing you cry and knowing I caused it....I hate that, girl. I'm not the guy who makes my girl cry."

"You need to just tell me how you feel and not hold it in. And not look for trouble where there is none. We are solid. We're always going to be solid. We're a team. Morgan and Garcia forever. We should have been married five years ago. I certainly was horny enough for you to go for it."

He grinned. "Why does that not surprise me?"

She gave him a small smile. "Will you go in and get my coffee ready for me? I want to fix my make-up in peace without all your fineness distracting me."

"Yes, baby girl."

"Thank you," she replied, in a sweet tone, as their fight ended. It was over but not forgotten by either of them. They now saw how quick tempers could flare in their marriage. They would have to watch out for that so they didn't hurt each other over and over by not learning from their mistakes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Count On Me**

**Chapter Four **

**March 2010**

Later in the day Derek went to Penelope's office to make up with her some more. He knocked, called out "Its me, babe. Your husband," and waited for her to say "Enter my kingdom, noble knight."

After he came inside he walked up behind her chair, bent over and kissed her cheek. "I still feel bad, baby, about making you cry. Kiss me and tell me I'm forgiven."

She teased "Believe me, doll face, you'll feel worse if Strauss comes in here and catches us making out."

"She knows you're my dirty talking tech Goddess. She wouldn't be surprised in the least. In fact I'm pretty sure she wishes you did talk dirty to me that day so she could hear what she's missing."

Penelope laughed. "It is scary that you put kinky connotations on Strauss. What is going on in that beautiful mind of yours?"

"It could be that I'm sex starved, baby girl."

She laughed some more. "You can't be. You just got a triple dose last night. You're good for a month now."

"Woman, don't play with me."

Smirking at him she said "Go back to work, my gorgeous husband, before I make it a year."

"You would never last the month so shooting for a year is just laughable."

"You think?"

Giving her a confident look he told her "I know," and then he walked out.

She sat there smiling and shivering with desire for him. Little did he know she wouldn't last a week so a month was laughable. Hell she wouldn't last the rest of the day.

If Derek was in Virginia, his body was on her radar.

XXXXXXXXXX

Derek wanted to respect Penelope's wishes and not go have it out with Lynch but when he saw Lynch in the hallway he stopped and glared at him. "You have some kind of problem with your eye sight?"

"Excuse me? What does that refer to?"

"You must have trouble seeing if you dial my wife's phone. That had to be a mistake on your part. Because if you were actually thinking it was a good idea to call Penelope, let alone in the middle of the night when we were sleeping, then its not your eyes with the problem, its your brain. And I never took you for that stupid."

Kevin gave him a disgusted look. "You have no shame and no class, Morgan. I never took you for this heartless. I guess as long as you're happy it doesn't matter who you destroy to get there." Kevin walked past him, bumping into Derek as he went.

Derek turned and called after him. "Next time you think about calling her or seeing her think again because it isn't the smart way to play this."

"Go to hell."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, baby girl," Derek said into his phone at the end of the work day. "You wanna go on a date tonight?"

"Sugar lips, the only date I want will take place in a nice, warm bathtub full of bubbles with my hard body spouse joining me. If that's the date you are asking me on then strip me bare and point the way cause my body is so aching right now. My husband is rather well endowed, if you want to know the truth, and he just won't leave my body alone for more than five minutes at a time."

"You are driving me crazy," Derek whispered into the phone. Then he spoke in a normal voice. "Behave."

"Make me."

"Woman."

"Spank me and teach me how you like your women to act. Spank me so hard that when I start screaming its it pleasure and not pain."

"Enough," he said with a smile. "You are out of control right now."

"No, I'm in control because you're the one out in the bullpen trying not to get hard. Think about Strauss. That should work to calm you down."

He laughed. "Penelope Morgan, I know you know that these phones calls can be monitored." He had called the phone on her desk.

"Never stopped me before."

"I really don't want my wife to be reprimanded by anyone else but me so cool it," he teased.

"Oh fine. Take me home then because you are not allowing me to have any fun," she teased back."Walk me to our SUV, sweetness?"

"That could be arranged. See you in five." Derek closed down his computer and put his files in his door. He looked at Reid and Prentiss. "Night, you guys."

Emily said "Hold on there, we're all going to the bar. You in?"

Derek shook his head. "No can do. I've got a date with my wife."

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Oh," Penelope let out a soft moan as she lay back against Derek's chest in the bathtub "now this is what I call heaven on earth."

His hand massaged her thigh, slowly, beneath the water. "Is it? I bet I could make it more heavenly."

Closing her eyes she purred "I bet you could."

Derek teased her with his hand massaging her thigh for a while and going near where she wanted but not actually touching her there until she was good and overheated. Then he moved his hand away totally. She cried out "Hey, mister! A little to the left."

He started to massage her stomach with slow circles with one hand and the other massaged a breast. She moaned again and said "That's more like it. I love play time at the Morgan house."

He chuckled. "When we have kids that sentence will have a totally different meaning."

"A little replica of my one true love. What a perfect fantasy. But not right now, lover. Right now I want to only think about what's pressing against me at the moment. That's the Junior Morgan that I'm into right now."

"Junior Morgan," he scoffed. "There's nothing junior about me."

She sighed blissfully. "Don't I know it." They shared a kiss, both moaning into each other's mouth as his hand slipped from her stomach to between her legs.

XXXXXXXXXX

Penelope lay on their bed, wearing a silk baby doll nighty, with her head resting on her husband's chest. "Morgan," she drew lazily patterns on his abs "do you know when I knew I loved you?"

"Right around when I called you Gomez,"he teased.

"No, but when I turned around is when I knew I lusted after you."

"Lust at first sight. Those were the days. Though I like these days better, wife."

"Me too..... When I knew I loved you was the first time I ever thought I lost you. When that house exploded and your friend was killed."

"Kenny." He stroked her hair.

"It hit me. I wasn't just hot for you or liked you as a friend. It went deeper. I never felt that way about anyone in all my life. Not like that. Like this. I just didn't know how to tell you that because I always believed you would make a move if you wanted me. I didn't understand that maybe you were nervous too or just wanted to wait till you we weren't so young, horny and stupid so we could really last."

"I never thought it out that far. I just didn't want to mess things up. I couldn't sleep with you and have you hate me later. And I thought you would."

"What made you think that? At first I could see it but as the years went on, you knew I could never hate you, no matter what."

"You'd hate me if I left you right now, wouldn't you? I never would now. But that's how I used to be. I never stayed with anyone. I didn't think I could stay with you."

"And now you know you can."

"Is that a question?"

"Never. I know you're here for life."

"That's right, baby girl. You've got me on lock down and I love it."

"Of course you do. You've got the hottest sex life outside of porn that I've ever even heard about, let alone been part of."

Derek slipped out from underneath her and slid down so that they were eye to eye. "And just so you know, woman, we _always _will." Then he started kissing her again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Count On Me**

**Chapter Five**

**March 2010**

Penelope nearly jumped out of her skin when Kevin snuck up on her in her office. She yelped. "You can't be here! I told you that already. You have to go."

"Penny-"

"Please, don't do this to me. I said I'm sorry. I know you're hurting but I have a marriage to protect now and that means thinking about my husband's feelings-"

"I don't give a rat's ass about your insecure piss ant husband's feelings! We need to talk!"

"About?"

"Us, of course, what we have-"

"You're wrong. We had something. I gave it up because I love another man. Now go before that other man comes in here and makes you go."

"Does he control you, Penny? I never did that. Just please talk to me before this madness lasts any longer."

"You need to forget about me. In time you'll love again and I'll be happy for you, even if you hate me forever."

"Hating you would be a relief right now." Kevin turned and left.

XXXXXXXXX

"You're not eating," Derek said at dinner that night. They had left work and gone straight to the restaurant.

"I had a run in with Kevin today."

Derek's jaw clenched. He leaned forward. "Run in? What the hell did he do now? I swear that guy is pushing my buttons and he's not gonna like what happens when he finally pushes the wrong one."

"Honestly its you who makes this bad on me, not him."

"I do _what_, baby girl?"

"I expect him to be mad. He should be mad and he should scream and yell and hate us both. I would wipe us off the grid if I was him. But you....you're supposed to make me feel better but you don't. You get mad and I feel like this is all my doing. That I jumped out of one bed and into another. When the truth is I haven't slept with Kevin in four months but I couldn't break up with him either just because I feared spending the rest of my life alone. That is my fault, not his. I used him till I couldn't anymore and threw him away. What should he do? Send us a wedding present?"

"Do you hear yourself? You're defending this nut."

"Does believing he is worthless help you somehow? I did him wrong. If anyone is screwed up in this threesome its me."

"First off, baby, there is no threesome. This is a two person marriage. And if I get upset it's because my wife- who I love very, very much- is being bothered by her ex. I want to protect you." He reached over and held her face, under her chin. "Hey....silly girl, I love you, you know that, right?"

She smiled sadly at him. "I know that. I really do."

"What happened with Lynch? I won't get mad unless he hurt you. Just tell me the truth. Its not up to you to filter the truth for me so I don't get pissed off."

"He just asked to discuss our prior relationship and I told him that wouldn't be possible. I didn't even allow him a discussion of what happened. What kind of bitch am I? How would you feel if that was you, Derek?"

"It won't be me. I have a wife who loves me."

"He thought he had a girlfriend who loved him too."

"Yeah, but we both know he didn't. You cared and you enjoyed the attention he gave. You love me and you have for years. There is nothing to discuss with him. You did the right thing by blowing him off. No need to drag this out, right? Let him move on and get over this."

"You're right, handsome."

"Thank you very much!" he teased her by being all dramatic. "Now can you eat your dinner so I can buy you some dessert?"

"Chocolate?"

"You know it, doll face."

Giving him her very sweet tone she agreed. "Okay, if you feed it to me."

"Yes, baby girl."

XXXXXXXXX

When they got back home Derek carried her over the threshold. Penelope laughed and said "You're crazy! We've been married over a week now. A little late for this, isn't it?"

"Hush," he dragged the word out. When he had her inside he kicked the door closed and gave her a long kiss as he still held her. Then he whispered "Welcome home. Mrs. Morgan."

"You're so sweet. I could eat you with a spoon. Or lick you from head to toe."

"Well, girl, go on with your bad self. I won't complain."

She started to unbutton his shirt while he carried her up to their bed.

XXXXXXXXX

After they made love and had been laying there in the dark for a while Derek said "Do you know when I knew I had fallen in love with you?"

She looked into his eyes.

Just then Clooney started barking, needing to go out. Derek cursed "Damn. Forgot all about our mutt."

"Don't call him a mutt. That dog is your practice run at being a daddy. So go take care of your baby, Daddy Derek."

With a smirk he kissed her nose. "So silly. Hold on, sweetheart. I will be back before you know it."

When he came back she was facing away from him. He got in bed and moved her hair to find her eyes closed. "Good night, beautiful angel."

He was leaning over to kiss her forehead when she said "You must think I'm crazy if you really believe I could fall asleep before I hear when you fell in love with me."

She rolled over, giggling, and he was chuckling as he pulled her flush with him and joined her beneath the cover. He stoked her hair for a long minute and then said "I really think I fell for you the second day I knew you. Or sometime that first week. You kept letting me call you baby girl and you started to call me Hot Stuff and, I don't know, there was just something special about you that made me want to keep it going...and I mean keep it going for as long as I'm breathing. I liked it that much. I liked you. But when did I know all that in a way where I could admit it to myself? Not until it was just about too late."

Quietly she said "When I was shot."

He pulled her close again and buried his face against the crook of her neck. They had never really gotten to cry together over all that. Derek had to be strong for her, he believed, when she was in the hospital and after words she started to date Lynch. Derek only now got to let out all his emotions while she held him. He finally said "I kept praying and praying. I prayed for this. For us."

Penelope knew what then that she had seriously made a mistake when she got with Lynch. Before now she knew it was wrong but she had felt justified at the time. Derek screwed up and he didn't make a move on her when he should have. But now she saw that he was working toward her in his own way for years.

He did move slow. But that's because he only moved fast when it didn't mean anything.

Feeling her husband's tears fall on her skin she knew that Kevin could do nothing to hurt them. Their marriage was going to a be a strong one and Kevin was going to turn into just a faded memory that couldn't hurt them anymore.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Office of Mrs. Penelope Garcia-Morgan, luckiest woman on earth, how may I help you this fine day?"

"You could marry me."

"Done."

"Okay then how about you run a name for me?"

"You are too easy to please."

"For you, always."

And they went on, building a life and a love, one phone call at a time.

THE END


End file.
